The Dark Ronin Warrior: P1: The new Ronin
by Genius Writer Seth N Jones
Summary: couple of parts going up here. (forgive my spelling) if it seems familier to something don't blame me. just read it, review it, and e-mail me questions. ^_~
1. The New Ronin

Author(ess) Note: It's not my fault if my story is similar in any way to any other Ronin Warrior Stories that you have read. If you have any complaints about it, email me at genius_seth@hotmail.com, SilverAngel@gw.zzn.com, or jedi_zecli_solo@yahoo.com. Just don't write it in the review!  
  
The Dark Ronin Warrior  
Seth N Jones  
  
  
*Part One: The New Ronin*  
  
The young, seventeen-year-old girl sat down at her desk in a school in Toyama. Her midnight blue eyes glanced around at the scene of her new school, but flinched slightly when it met sunlight. Some people looked at her weirdly because of the one white streak in her brown hair that ran in front of the right side of her face. Or maybe it was because the way her left hand was tattooed with strange, colorful symbols.  
  
And the blue school uniform just bothered her. Back in America, she didn't wear a school uniform with a khaki skirt and blouse, instead wore comfortable jeans and t-shirt. And would always wear sunglasses.  
  
Around her, the students whispered excitedly about a crime fighting group called the "Ronin Warriors." As far as she was concerned, they had nothing to do with her. Was she ever wrong.  
  
She had recently moved to Japan with her father, who was in the army, to where her mother grew up, the same house too. She learned the language easily when she was young and knew how to speak it well. But before the school term started, her father died. Now she was on her own.  
  
But she lived fine without anyone. Her mother disappeared when she was younger and presumed dead. Her father died soon after they moved. She worked part time to earn money and lived in the old house.  
  
The teacher walked in a suddenly everyone got quite. "Class," she said loudly, "We have a new student. Her name is Lanèna Vampirra and she came all the way from America."  
  
Lanèna stood up and walked to the front. The teacher put an arm around the younger's shoulder. "Is there a different name you would like to go by?"  
  
She nodded. "Lana is fine," she said quietly.  
  
"Very well, Lana," the teacher said. "You can go back to your seat."  
  
Lana nodded again and returned to her seat quickly. But when she sat down, a loud rumble filled the room and it shook. A few screamed and others ran to the other side of the room, but Lana stood fixed right beside the window.  
  
Outside, a large black cloud filled the sky with streaks of lightening searing it. Lana thought she caught a glimpse of red eyes, but then ran to the other side of the room when the wall was blown inward. A tall dark warrior stood in the large opening, dark green armor covering him from head to foot. He carried a bow and arrow over his back, same color as his armor.  
  
"I am Traent, Warlord of Greed. I am looking for a Ronin Warrior."  
  
"If a Ronin Warrior you want," a male voice called out, "Then a Ronin Warrior you will get."  
  
Traent moved and Lana caught a glimpse of boy wearing bright red armor and carrying two swords. He had a look of determination was in his eyes.  
  
"I'm not looking for you, Wildfire."  
  
"Then how about Strata." A boy with deep blue armor and gold bow and arrow appeared.  
  
"Or Halo." A boy with green armor and battle sword stepped into view.  
  
"Or how about Torrent or Hardrock." Two boys, one with a light blue armor and one with orange armor, appeared. All had masks over their face, so that the only thing you could see was their eyes.  
  
Traent shook his head. "You don't know what you're getting into."  
  
"Oh, do we?" Wildfire said. He attacked Traent with his two swords. As Lana watched, the back of her mind thought, *I may have met my match in sword fighting.*  
  
But the fight was over as fast as it was started. Traent disappeared and the warriors were left standing in the demolished classroom. Lana was the only person standing away from the wall and all alone. One by one, the Ronin Warriors left, but Strata glanced at Lana as if he wanted better of her.  
  
Lana gazed into his dark blue eyes and felt something familiar about them. Then he left.  
  
Lana gazed out of the hole in the wall when the clearly shaken teacher said, "Class dismissed for the rest of the day."  
  
She was jerked out of her trance by the cheer of the class. Lana quickly got her bag and ran to the girls restroom. When she left the restroom, she was dressed in a pair of jeans, white t-shirt, and black leather jacket.  
  
Lana ran to her motorcycle that sat in the parking lot and climbed on. As the engine roared in her ears, she pulled out a pair of silver sunglasses and put them on. Her eyes focused better now.  
  
The motorcycle roared out of the parking lot, Lana's long brown hair flaring behind her.  
  
  
  
Eighteen-year-old Ryo sat driving the red Jeep with Rowen, Sage, Cye, and Kento in the passenger seats. His outfit was no longer his armor or sub-armor, but just pants and a shirt.  
  
"Do you think it's the Dynasty?" the blue-haired Rowen asked.  
  
"I don't think so," Sage answered. His blond hair whipped in the wind. "That warlord was looking for one Ronin Warrior."  
  
"And apparently he wasn't looking for one of us," Cye put in. "Most of the time, they want all of us."  
  
"Hey, I'm hungry!"  
  
Ryo looked back at the dark-blue haired warrior. "You're always hungry, Kento." He was about to turn back to the front when a trail of dust started up behind him. "What the. . ."  
  
Everyone looked back and a dark figure came into view. Ryo glanced at the rear view mirror every few moments and saw the motorcycle right at their tail. But before he could do anything, the bike sped up and pulled up right next to the Jeep so that, if Ryo wanted to, he could reach out and touch the driver's shoulder.  
  
The driver scanned the occupants of the Jeep, but the gaze stopped on Rowen for a moment longer. The eyes narrowed thoughfully, taking in his light blue hair and the blue strap that ran across his forehead.  
  
"I think she has a crush on you, Rowen," Kento said from the back. Ryo could barely hear Cye's snicker. A bright red began to color Rowen's cheeks.  
  
The driver's long, dark brown hair thrashed in the wind, her eyes peered out from behind the dark sunglasses and Ryo caught a glimpse of a deep blue.  
  
"She's a student from our school," Rowen said. "No one else has a streak of white hair like that."  
  
The driver smiled and gave a small salute to the boys. Ryo saw a flash of color coming off of that left hand. But before he could do anything, the driver revved the motor and pulled ahead of them.  
  
Just as it disappeared from sight, a loud screech came to their ears, followed by the sound of a something crashing into a tree.  
  
"Oh no!" Rowen said. Ryo sped up to reach the fallen driver. He had to swerve to miss a large patch of ice, then stopped short in front of a tree in the middle of the road.  
  
Everyone climbed out and saw the bottom of the tree was smashed to smithereens. The motorcycle laid at the side of the road with the owner no where to be seen. But then there was some movement in the woods, a moan, near where the tree had stood.  
  
Kento ran to see it, and when he reached it, he cried out in surprise, followed by a cry of terror from someone else.  
  
The driver quickly stood and back away as quickly as possible. Her sunglasses were missing, but that wasn't the only thing. Her clothes were gone, replaced by black and silver sub-armor. She glanced down at her armored arms, her eyes wide with terror and confusion.  
  
She backed up into a tree and glanced up. Before Ryo or the others could do anything, she jumped up and grabbed onto a limb a few meters up. The rest of the group ran over to the tree and gazed up, meeting the fiery blue gaze of the girl.  
  
She glanced back over to the road and suddenly jumped to the ground and ran toward her bike.  
  
Kento tackled her and rolled to the ground. The girl said a few choice words in english and then gave a kick to the stomach, but the blow was absorbed by Kento's sub-armor. She got up quickly but stood her ground, for she was caged in by the rest of the Ronin Warriors, all wearing their sub-armor.  
  
She looked scared by all what was happening. She held up her hands in self-defense, looking for a way out. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" she whispered, her voice accented.  
  
"Who are you?" Ryo asked.  
  
She turned away from the road to face Ryo. She shook her head slightly. "I don't know anymore." Her eyes glanced behind her slightly, and took off like a shot. She pounced on the chest of unsuspecting Rowen, who went down with an *oof*. "Sorry," she whispered and quickly ran to the road and righted her bike.  
  
But before she climbed on, a voice called out, saying, "What's the rush, young Ronin?"  
  
The girl cried out and quickly backed up in fear away from another warlord. This one was different. His armor was an icy blue, almost white. He held a long staff in right hand.  
  
"I am Fraezi, Warlord of Hail and Ice. And Empress Vionite sent me to get you, Ronin."  
  
The girl turned and ran from him. Ice snaked along the ground and caught her feet. She stood frozen as ice crawled up her body.  
  
"Arrow Shock Wave!" Rowen's super move stopped the warlord.  
  
The ice stopped and froze around her throat. She made strangled sound and her eyes went wide with fear as she realized that she might choke. Fear suddenly seemed to fill Rowen.  
  
The Ronin Warriors made a protective circle around her, all in their full armor. Ryo quickly ran to the girl and placed his armored hand on the ice, melting the ice with his Wildfire power.  
  
She finally collapsed in his arms, taking deep breaths. Finally, she stood on her own, her eyes seeming to glow a bright blue. Ryo took a few steps away as wind began to blow her hair wild.  
  
Suddenly, she yell, "Armor of the Night! Tao Mikomi!"  
  
The wind picked up more, throwing dust around so that everyone had to close their eyes. But when they opened them, the girl wore armor that looked like a cross of Ryo's Wildfire and Inferno armor. It was black, silver around the edges and where the white on the others armor was, and two, long swords on the back.  
  
"Ah, Lady Lanèna, you show your true powers." Fraezi lifted his rod and swung at Lanèna but it was blocked by one of her swords. She grabbed her second sword and touched it to the staff.  
  
Electricity came away from Lanèna and traveled to the staff. The warlord disappeared, unable to take the shock, and the girl collapsed to the ground.  
  
Rowen picked her up as the black armor disappeared, leaving the black and silver sub-armor. His own armor faded to his clothes. "What do you think we should do with her?"  
  
"She's apparently a Ronin Warrior. She has the potential."  
  
Rowen nodded once and took her to the Jeep.  
  
"Kento, hook the bike onto the back."  
  
Kento smile and rubbed his hands. He lifted the motorcycle off the ground and tied it to the back of the Jeep.  
  
"You sure this is wise, Ryo?" Cye asked.  
  
"If we have a new enemy, a new ally will help," Sage said.  
  
  
Lana's eyes slowly opened and saw darkness all around her. Her eyes saw through the darkness like anyone else saw through daylight. She glanced around and saw herself in a bedroom with herself in the only bed.  
  
The silver of the sub-armor caught her eye and she looked at it closely. Flashes of the fight came to her mind, but she seemed distant, like someone or something controlled her, helping her.  
  
Then there was the other Warriors. She saw the face of every one of them. She also vowed revenge on the one who tackled her, Hardrock.  
  
The sound of foot steps brought her attention back to the present. Lana silently slipped out of the bed and out of an open window. Once she was out into the night, she seemed to melt into it.  
  
  
  
Rowen stepped into his room where the girl slept. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but as soon as they did, he notice the girl was gone. The window was open and he ran to it, seeing no one out there. He looked around the room to see if he could find signs of struggle but found none.  
  
Still, worry filled him. *Why do I care for her?* he asked himself. He remembered the way her eyes looked when she first met Kento or when the warlord nearly killed her with ice.  
  
*This could all be a trick,* he thought. *Just a Dynasty trick*. Then his thought went back to the way her eyes would stop on him and the way she smiled.  
  
Shaking himself from his musings, he went back down stairs and looked at the other warriors. "She's gone."  
  
Kento started to get up, but Rowen stopped him. "Her bike is still here and she must not live far if she didn't take it. I'll return it tomorrow."  
  
"I'll go with you," Kento said. "I'll take the Jeep so you won't have to walk."  
  
"There's an old house a few miles away from here," Ryo said. "It's been left alone and she might live there."  
  
Rowen nodded his thanks. "I just wish that Mia and Yuli didn't go on vacation for a few weeks."  
  
  
  
The motorcycle stopped right in front of the house. Rowen got off just as Kento pulled up in the Jeep. "Okay," Kento said, "We dropped off her bike, let's go."  
  
"Wait, how do we know this is the right house?"  
  
Kento shrugged and Rowen walked up to the door. He knocked and it creaked open. Rowen went inside and Kento ran to catch up.  
  
The house looked lived in. There was a T.V. and a computer in the main room. In the kitchen, there was a bowl of fruit and a large pile of books. Kento walked over and picked up a few.  
  
"These are all written in a different language."  
  
Rowen picked up a piece of paper and looked at it. It was written in a language he didn't know, but by telling by the marks, it was a language paper with a good grade.  
  
He walked out to a large stairway and looked at the pictures hanging on the wall.  
  
Kento was very close behind. "Do you ever have the feeling that you're being watched?"  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud *thud* and Rowen spun around to see Kento pinned to the floor with Lanèna on top. "That's because you are," she said with a smile.  
  
She pushed herself off and brushed her hands off. "That was for yesterday, Hardrock." Lanèna wore a combat suit that fitted her body like a glove. Her long hair was braided around her head with only a few strands falling out. The one white streak still ran through it. She apparently found out how to get out of the sub-armor. She was as tall as Rowen, but had a smaller frame.  
  
She looked at Rowen and noticing him staring. His gaze quickly moved away and he felt himself blush. She smiled lopsidedly and helped Kento up off of the ground.  
  
"What was that for?!" Kento yelled.  
  
"I told you. For yesterday. Why did you attack yesterday?"  
  
"We thought you were from the Dynasty," Rowen said  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "The Dynasty? I'm not from the Dynasty, I'm from America."  
  
"America?"  
  
"Yeah. My father was in the army and we get sent here."  
  
"Where is your father?"  
  
"He died a few months back. I've been living on my own since then."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"My name is Lana," she said, extending her hand.  
  
"I'm Rowen," he replied, shaking her hand, "And this is Kento."  
  
Kento glared evilly at Lana and she shook her head, amused. "He holds grudges, doesn't he?"  
  
Rowen nodded. But before he could say anything else, a loud rumble shook the house. Lana's eyes went wide with fear and she ran upstairs. Rowen and Kento quickly changed into their armors and ran outside.  
  
In front of them stood at least fifty blue samurai soldiers. Then all at once, they attacked. They fought off, but the odds were not in their favor. Just as one soldier came up to finish Rowen off from behind, there was a slash, followed by a loud crack, then a light smoke filled the air.  
  
Rowen turned and saw Lana, sword with strange markings on the hilt and blade, in hand, press her back to his. But she was not in her armor. Alarm filled him. "Lana! The odds of you surviving this attack are-"  
  
"Never tell me the odds!" she yelled as she cut another soldier down. With her fiery attitude and quick mind, she was able to help Rowen and Kento. *No matter what*, Rowen vowed, *I'll make sure she lives*.  
  
Kento twirled his staff and yelled, "Iron Rock Crusher!" The blow took out the rest of the soldiers.  
  
Lana stood with her sword ready in hand. Her combat suit was torn and slashed in many places and there was small cuts underneath. Rowen surveyed the scene. "It look like they're gone." He turned around and saw a soldier come up on Lana. "Lana! Behind you!"  
  
But it was to late. The soldier's sword cut deep into her right shoulder and she cried out in pain, falling to her knees. But as did so, black lightening came out of the wound and instantly killed the soldier.  
  
The sword in Lana's hand dropped to the ground. Rowen ran over and lifted her up. She hissed in pain and her eyes opened. She gazed into Rowen's and something passed over her's. "Your eyes are like my father's," she whispered before the pain in her shoulder took her.  
  
Rowen saw the life force slowly flow out of her body. "NO!" he cried out.  
  
His kanji symbol, Life, suddenly appeared and Rowen's armor glowed blue. The armor stopped the life from going away from Lana, and slowly began to feed it back to her.  
  
Kento, now in his sub-armor, came up beside his friend. "We might be able to save her if we hurry."  
  
Rowen nodded and quickly got back into the Jeep, still in his full armor, still holding onto Lana. As long as the armor had contact with her, she will live. The blue glow had transferred over to Lana, keeping her alive, but barely.  
  
The Jeep came to a screeching stop in front of their house and Ryo, Sage, and Cye came out, shocked. They saw the girl and the torn look on their friend's face.  
  
The took Lana into the house, and, with Rowen refusing to break contact, bandaged up her arm. Sage used some of his healing powers on her, doing the best that he could. It was strange. The arm already began to heal at top speed and the little cuts and bruises that used to be on her body had disappeared.  
  
A few hours later, Lana laid in Rowen's bed, with Rowen still holding her hand tightly. The blue armor still covered he from head to foot for he denied to take it off.  
  
The blue glow still covered the healing Lana, and right before Rowen drifted off to sleep, kneeling beside the bed, he felt a weak squeeze in his armored hand.  
  
  
  
Fog filled Lana's mind. The hard she tried to see through it, the thicker it got. Finally she called out, *Where am I?*  
  
*You need rest for your training, child*, a male voice came back.  
  
*I am *not* a child*.  
  
The voice seemed to laugh. *No, but you're starting to act like one*.  
  
That quieted Lana. *What is going on with me?* she asked after a moment.  
  
*You have recently discovered the powers that sleep within you,* the voice answered. *With the help of the Ronin Warriors, you will learn to use that power. It is important that you train hard and well.*  
  
*Who are you?*  
  
*I am known as one of the Ancients, but that is not important.*  
  
Lana's eyes slowly opened and immediately adjusted to the darkness that surrounded her. The last waking moment, she remembered seeing Rowen in full armor. Then she felt searing pain in her right shoulder. But where was she now?  
  
Lana glanced to the side and saw an open window with stars shining in. The room was familiar. A quiet noise brought her face to the other side and she saw Rowen, asleep in his Strata Armor, a lock of blue hair falling out from beneath the helmet. He was kneeled at the bedside, with her left hand was in his armored grip.  
  
Cautiously, she reached over and pushed the hair out of his face and his eyes slowly opened. Very quickly, he was wide awake.  
  
"How long have you been there, Rowen?" Lana asked quietly.  
  
"You have been healing for four days."  
  
"Four days? Friday. That must mean I missed school." She looked back over at Rowen. "You still haven't told me how long you've been here."  
  
"Ever since we brought you back Tuesday." Lana looked shocked. "You nearly died, but my armor gave you life. I refused to leave until you woke up." He smile at Lana and his armor slowly faded to his clothes.  
  
Lana gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm fine. You're the one I'm worried about." She slipped her hand away, sat up, and slowly unwrapped her shoulder. When the bandage was off, her skin was fully healed except for a red mark where the sword had cut into her.  
  
She looked sort of embarassed. "Do you think I can run up to my house and change clothes?"  
  
Rowen shook his head. "I wouldn't risk it." He got up and rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a shirt and pants. "These might be a little loose on you," he said, handing them to her.  
  
Lana looked down at the articles of clothes and then looked back up at Rowen with a lopsided grin. "Thanks Rowen."  
  
"Come out when you're ready and I'll introduce you to the rest," Rowen said and left the room.  
  
Lana quickly dressed in the clothes and Rowen was right. They were slightly loose. She tucked the shirt into the pants and used her belt to keep them up. The she quickly did her hair. She left it so the there was a crown of braided hair around her head, but now she had loose hair that fell to the middle of her back.  
  
Lana stepped out into the hall and saw Rowen leaning against the wall, deep in thought. But before she could say anything, he snapped out of it. "Do they work?" he asked.  
  
Lana nodded. "They're just fine, thank you."  
  
Rowen gestured and led Lana down a flight of stairs to a large living area where for others sat. She reconized Kento, and remember the faces of the three others.  
  
"Lana, this is Ryo," Wildfire, her mind said automatically. He had slightly long black hair that fell slightly in front of his blue eyes, "Cye," Torrent. Cye's light brown hair was the only one that looked normal of the group, ending before his dark blue eyes, "and Sage," Halo. Sage had thick blond hair that covered one of his icy lavender eyes.  
  
Lana looked closer at Kento and Rowen. Kento had a really dark blue hair that she would have mistaken as black, with an yellow band running across his forehead, right above his blue eyes. Rowen had light blue hair that sometimes fell across his dark blue eyes and had a blue band also running across his forehead. "Guys, this is Lana."  
  
"And White Blaze is behind you," Ryo said.  
  
"White Blaze?" Lana turned around and saw a huge white tiger with black stripes. "Cool," she said as she scratched his head. White Blaze purred like a big kitten.  
  
"I never seen anyone take to White Blaze like that," Kento whispered to Sage. "She can't be human."  
  
"I'm more human than you, Kento," Lana said, not looking up. Sage laughed.  
  
"Are you hungry, Lana?" Ryo asked.  
  
Lana looked up. "No, not really. But thanks."  
  
"Now I *know* she's not human," Kento said out loud. "No one can sleep for four days straight and not be hungry."  
  
"Would you believe that the only things I *can* eat are fruits, vegetables, and grains?" Lana saw the look of horror on his face and grinned. "Guess not."  
  
"Why's that?" Cye asked.  
  
"I don't know. I get severly sick if I have any kind of meat." Lana looked around and suddenly felt as if she was claustrophobic. "I need some fresh air," she said. "Am I allowed to go out?"  
  
"As long as someone goes with you, I don't see why not," Ryo said.  
  
Lana frowned at the statement. "Why does someone need to go with me?"  
  
"The Dynasty, or who ever wants you, will still be after you. And you don't know how to use your armor yet. Do you remember how to call on it?"  
  
"Sort of."  
  
"I'll go with you," Rowen said. Kento was about to make a snide remark when the glare he received from Rowen stopped him. He led Lana outside and every time he glanced at her, her face was to the stars.  
  
"I always loved space," she said quietly. "Dark, silent."  
  
They soon reached the lake near the house and the moon shone off of the water. "Why did you say that my eyes are like your father's?" Rowen asked.  
  
"His eyes were a dark blue, like your's and mine. They had a sad, but thoughtful look in them." Lana smiled. "But they seemed happy when he trained me or helped me with my homework."  
  
"Trained?"  
  
"He taught me how to use a sword and bow and arrow. Also in self-defense. I. . . ahh!"  
  
Lana crumpled to the ground, hands covering her ears. She cried out again and again as. . . something flashed through her mind.  
  
Rowen kneeled beside her and placed his hands onto her shoulders. "Lana! Snap out of it!" Then, on impulse, he brought her close and kissed her.  
  
Lana's vision immediately stop when her lips touched Rowen's. His hand gently cradled her neck and his arm was around her waist. He pulled away and saw Lana's eyes wide with surprise. Together, they stood.  
  
"Sorry," he whispered. "It's just that. . ."  
  
"It's just that I sounded as if I were in pain." Lana shook her head. "Don't be sorry."  
  
Rowen smiled weakly. "Lana, I-"  
  
"Rowen, look out!" Lana pulled on Rowen's shirt and kicked behind where his head was a few minutes ago. The blue samurai soldier crumpled to the ground.  
  
"Lana, get back to the house and get the others!" Rowen yelled. Lana looked over and saw him in the dark blue Strata armor. The samurai soldiers had surrounded them.  
  
But before she knew it, she yelled, "Armor of the Night. . . Tao Mikomi!" The black and silver armor appeared on her. She pulled out the swords on her back and crossed the blades. "I'm not leaving you Rowen."  
  
Their back pressed together and Rowen pulled out an arrow, and yelled, "Arrow Shock Wave!"  
  
Gold energy shot out and destroyed half of the soldiers. Lana's eyes glowed a bright blue and she yelled, "Dark Illumination Affect!"  
  
Black bolts of energy came from the crossed sword and took out the rest of the soldiers, along with a few dozen trees. When the dust cleared away, only one figure remained.  
  
"Oh great," Lana moaned. "Another warlord."  
  
The figure narrowed it's eyes. "I am Haetie, wearer of the armor of Despise." He wore an armor of dark blues and greens with two swords hanging off of each side. He pulled out two of them. "Now, Lady Lanèna, why don't you come peacefully."  
  
"Don't call me Lanèna!" she yelled and charged at him, swords humming in the air. The blades clashed together and Lana's eyes narrowed. "Why do you want me?"  
  
"For Empress Vionite."  
  
"You still haven't answered my question, Haetie."  
  
The warlord swung but Lana blocked it easily. "Empress Vionite wants to meet you."  
  
"Then you'll have to find me." Lana jumped up into the trees and disappeared in the darkness.  
  
Soldiers came in by the dozens and surrounded Rowen. Lana was no where to be seen. Rowen kept shooting the soldiers with his arrows.  
  
"Iron Rock Crusher!"  
  
"Super Wave Smasher!" Kento's and Cye's attacks came out and destroyed a few dozen soldiers. One by one, Ryo, Kento, Sage, and Cye showed up at Rowen's side.  
  
"Where's Lana?" Rowen asked, but no one answered. Ryo used his attack of, "Flare Up Now!" and Sage used his attack of, "Thunder Bolt Cut!" getting rid of a few dozen more.  
  
But there was at least fifty left. "Very clever Ronins, but let's see if you can block this." He pulled out all of his swords and slammed it into the ground, yelling, "Hatred Quake!"  
  
Suddenly, Lana jumped out of the shadows, brandishing her swords and stopped in front of the attack.  
  
"Lana!" Rowen yelled. "Get away!"  
  
"Dark Beam Destroy!" One massive bolt of black energy shot from the twin swords, destroying everything in the way. It blocked the blow and went farther to get Haetie, but he left before it got to him.  
  
Lana stood their for a moment, the only thing disturbing the air was her heavy breathing. Then her armor faded into her sub-armor and her hair was back into the ring of braids.  
  
She fell to her knees and the others rushed foreward to help. Lana tried swatted them away. "I'll be fine," she said. "Just a little weak."  
  
Still, Sage and Ryo draped her arms over their shoulders and started back. Her sub-armor faded immediately to clothes, making her lighter to carry. Kento kept his three-sectioned staff handy as he led the way, while Cye held his Trident and watched the back.  
  
They made it back without incident and they set Lana down on the couch. Then they all transform back into clothes and sat down. After a few minutes of what they're deciding what to do with the new threat, the warriors started off to their rooms.  
  
Rowen saw Lana curled up on the couch, asleep, and picked her up to let her sleep in his room. White Blaze, who was laying in front of the couch, growled. "No Rowen," a soft voice said. "You sleep in your bed. You need it after four days of being in your armor."  
  
Rowen smiled. He laid Lana back on the couch and covered her with a soft blanket. Before he left, he gave her a light kiss on the cheek.  
  
As he turned out the lights, he heard, "Night Rowen, sleep well."  
  
"Good night, Lana."  
  
  



	2. Air Night Soul

Must have at *least* four to six reviews if you want to see the next part. Otherwise, tough chance! -Genius Writer Seth N Jones  
  
*Part Two: Air Night Soul, Life Hope Love*  
  
Ryo awoke early the next morning by the soft sound of something humming through the air. He dressed quickly and went downstairs. Lana was missing, but so was White Blaze. He caught a glimpse of what seemed to be like Rowen's shirt outside the window and went to investigate.  
  
What he saw surprised him. Lana held a long, wooden staff in hand, her eyes covered with black cloth, and fought against an invisible foe. Her long brown hair was no longer braided, now it was tied off about mid-back. White Blaze lounged in the sun, another wooden staff near him.  
  
Ryo crept up to them and grabbed the staff. White Blaze growled what seemed to be a warning, but Ryo quickly motioned for him to be quiet. He got closer to Lana and one of her swings got so close to him that he reflectively blocked it.  
  
Lana suddenly turned to him and began to fight him. Ryo had to quickly block a flurry of swings and blows so not to get hit in the head or chest. Then Ryo turned offensive instead of defensive.  
  
Ryo swung at her head, then her feet. Lana ducked the first and did a backwards flip through the air, landing a few feet away. The staffs cracked in the cool, morning air as blow after blow was blocked.  
  
Ryo was surprised when one of Lana's swings tore his staff away from his hand, sending it flying through the air. Lana jumped up into the air, grabbed it, and landed back on the ground in front of Ryo. Both of the staffs pointed at the ground, the back half up against her arms. Lana was breathing heavy, as if it has been a long time since she done it last. And she did it all without seeing.  
  
Lana propped the staffs against her shoulder and pulled off the blindfold. She immediately flinched when the sun hit her deep blue eyes. But she smiled at Ryo.  
  
"Nice try, Ryo," she said. "My father has a habit of sneaking up on me when I practice." She smiled. "You're a bit rusty, but then again, I was taught to use a different fighting technique."  
  
"Taught?" Ryo questioned.  
  
Lana nodded. "My father taught me many forms of archery, sword fighting, and hand-to-hand combat." Her smile grew wider and she put up her hands. "Want to try me on the last one? I haven't got a good fight in ages."  
  
"Uh, maybe some other time." Ryo looked slightly scared of fighting Lana and she laughed.  
  
"If it's all right with you, do you think I could make breakfast for you guys? It's the least I could do."  
  
Ryo laughed. "Sure. I bet Kento would like that."  
  
  
  
The sun began to set when Rowen sat in his room, thinking. He and Lana ran back up to her house for a few things, since she's going to be training with them for a long while. A cool breeze blowed in from the window, and with it, a strange, melodious tune.  
  
Rowen wondered downstairs and out the door. He followed his ears to where the music came from. It was sad, as if in mourning. He soon stopped at his favorite place where he did his homework when he was in school.  
  
He looked up and saw Lana in a tree, her eyes closed, playing a violin. The song went on for a few more minutes, and when it stopped, Lana looked down at Rowen. She placed her free hand over some kind of necklace.  
  
"I'm sorry if disturbed you, Rowen," she said softly.  
  
"That was beautiful."  
  
"Thanks. My father taught it to me. I owe a lot to my father." She let go of the necklace and jumped out of the tree.  
  
"What's that?" Rowen asked, pointing at the necklace.  
  
"Something I got when I was young." She held it out slightly so Rowen could see. One side said "Air Night Soul" and the other said "Life Hope Love." "I would never take it off for the world."  
  
They started off toward the house when Lana stopped. Rowen turned around to see what it was and saw her in the black and silver sub-armor.  
  
"What is it, Lana?"  
  
"A shift in the shadows." She glanced around the trees carefully as she picked up a small rock. "Right. . . there!"  
  
She threw the rock and was rewarded by a loud *clank*. Suddenly, Dais appeared hanging by his feet. Lana jumped five feet back and was about to call on her armor when Rowen stopped her.  
  
He looked at the former warlord. "Why are you here, Dais?"  
  
"Lady Kayura sent me out to find some information about the new threat and I decided to check on you guys."  
  
"We had a little trouble in the past week." Rowen went on and told him about the new warlords and their attacks.  
  
Dais listened carefully. "I'll report this." Just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared.  
  
Lana relaxed slightly and her sub-armor disappeared. "I wish you guys will tell me how many of you are out there," she growled.  
  
Rowen laughed and began to tell her about their fight with the dynasty.  
  
  
  
A loud noise woke Rowen up. It was late at night and something just crashed. A bright light filled the room, followed by another crash. It was just storming.  
  
But something else was not right. Between the thunder strikes, he could hear a soft crying. He got out of bed and went down stairs. He caught a glimpse of Lana. She was sitting straight up on the couch, where she agreed, or forced the others to agree, to sleep. Her hands covered her ears and she cringed as another lightning bolt lit up the air.  
  
Rowen walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Lana jumped and looked to Rowen with tears in her eyes. She started to cry all over again and Rowen sat down beside her.  
  
"What's wrong?" he whispered.  
  
"My parents died in storms," she answered back. Rowen put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "My mother went out to do something on a stormy night. They found the car off the road, crashed, but never found a body.  
  
"My father also did the same thing and died. But right before he died, I caught a vision, a flash of where he was at. But I saw nothing of my mother." The tears still fell. "Now every time there's a thunderstorm, I'm afraid that I'll see the face of someone I care, then hear that they died."  
  
Lana quieted, her shoulder still shaking with silent sobs. But soon she fell asleep, as did Rowen beside her.  
  
  
  
*You are strong, child. Stronger than the others.*  
  
*What do you mean?*  
  
*You have more power than the others, and can easily turned against them if you turn to evil.*  
  
*I will never turn against them.* *Remember, young Ronin. Life must prevail over death. Air Night Soul. Life Hope Love.*  
  
"Lana. Wake up." A pair of soft lips pressed to her's. "Wake up sleepy head."  
  
Lana blinked her dark blue eyes a couple of times to clear them and saw Rowen kneeling beside her. She smiled lightly. "Morning."  
  
"The storm's over."  
  
Lana sat up and yawned. "I know. Thank you for staying with me last night."  
  
Rowen turned a little bit red. The doorbell rang and Lana frowned. She stood up and answered the door. Standing there were three men and one woman. "May I help you?"  
  
"Are you Lanèna Vampirra?" asked the woman.  
  
"Yeah," Lana said carefully.  
  
Rowen came up beside Lana and blinked in surprise. "Lady Kayura! what brings you here?"  
  
"Dais told us about your troubles and we came to ask if you know any more information."  
  
Rowen nodded. "Come on in," he said, leading them into the living room. "I'll tell Cye we have guests."  
  
Lana stood nervously as the three former warlords and Lady Kayura looked to her. "Miss Lanèna-"  
  
"Just Lana, please."  
  
"Very well. Lana, do you know why this new threat wants you?"  
  
Lana shook her head. "No. I found out less than a week ago about my powers and know nothing else of it. I don't even know the attacks until someone else shows me."  
  
Lady Kayura frowned. "Someone else? You mean the Ronin Warriors know your attacks."  
  
"No. Something takes over my body, like what happen when I first transformed. A power fills me and I let it take over."  
  
"Aren't you afraid that the person that is taking over might use you against us," Dais asked.  
  
Again, Lana shook her head. "I know the power is of the good. He's been helping me."  
  
"He?"  
  
Lana nodded. "He identified himself as an Ancient."  
  
"Anubis!"  
  
Ryo walked down the stairs, running his fingers through his black hair. "Did someone say something about Anubis?"  
  
Kale turned to Ryo. "Lana saying that Anubis has been helping her."  
  
"Lana said that?"  
  
Lana shook her head. "No. It's just when I fight, if there is a stronger attack my armor can do, a power takes over and helps. And in my dreams, something or someone's been counseling me, to be careful of my powers."  
  
"Is this the first time he contacted you? I mean, is this the first time he contacted you after you met the Ronins."  
  
Lana nodded. "The only other thing that's been bothering me is. . ."  
  
Rowen walked back from the kitchen and glanced at Lana, seeing the uneasy look on her face. "You don't have to tell them," he whispered.  
  
"I have too," Lana murmured. She looked to Lady Kayura. "I have visions, during thunderstorms, of when someone close to me dies or is coming close to death."  
  
"What?"  
  
"First it was with my mother, Violet. She had to do something in town and it was storming. My father told me to go to bed and when I woke up, it was still thundering. But my dream was when her car ran off road and fell into the trees. The car was found, but not the body.  
  
"The second only happened a few months ago, with my father. It was storming, and he had to do something in town also. I woke in the middle of the night after the dream and went downstairs to get something to drink. I saw my father pull on his rain coat and I ran toward him, telling him not to go. He was really worried because I was crying like a five year old and asked me what was wrong. I told him about the dream and he said that it was just a dream, nothing more."  
  
Lana stopped and took a shaky breath, already tears falling down her cheeks. "They... They found the car crash and the body the next day."  
  
Her knees got weak and she slid to the floor, crying freely. Rowen kneeled down beside her and placed his arms around her. "It's all right," he whispered.  
  
*Be strong, young Ronin,* a soft voice called in her mind.  
  
Lana abruptly stopped crying with a gasp. "Anubis?" she whispered.  
  
Everyone looked toward her and she just stared into the space in front of her. *You are the Warrior of the Night,* came back the answer. *You need to be strong for what happens next.*  
  
The pendant around Lana's neck glowed for a second when suddenly an explosion rocked the house. Lana looked up and her eyes were glowing a light blue. She stood up and ran out of the house, looking at the woods near.  
  
"Armor of the Night!" she yelled, "Tao Mikomi!" Blue, black, and silver energy surrounded her and suddenly she appeared in the black and silver Armor of the Night.  
  
A black and white figure emerged from the woods, a staff in hand. He looked to Lana and yelled, "Attack!"  
  
Blue soldiers poured out of the woods and Lana pulled the two swords from off her back. "Dark Illumination Affect!"  
  
Black lightning flew from the crossed swords and into the army destroying quite a few. Kale, Dais, and Sekmet appeared in their armors, and Lana glanced at them in confusion. Rowen, Cye, and Ryo also ran out in their armors.  
  
"I hope you guys have good attacks," Lana muttered to the former warlords.  
  
"Ryo," Rowen called. "Go into the Armor of Inferno."  
  
"Right!" Energy filled the air as Ryo called on the armor. The powers of Sekmet, Dais, Kale, and Lana streaked toward Ryo, creating the white armor.  
  
Lana fell to her knees, crying out in pain, her hands pressed to the sides of her helmet. Rowen ran to Lana, seeing her eyes wide with pain. "Ryo! Hurry! Lana might go into shock!"  
  
Ryo nodded, calling upon his attack. "Rage of Inferno!"  
  
Flame filled the morning air, heating it up instantly. The attack got rid of all the soldiers, all except for the warlord. The Armor of Inferno disappeared and the energy streaked back to the owners, but Lana was still on the ground in pain.  
  
"Anubis!" she cried. "Help me!"  
  
"I'm afraid that poor excuse of a warlord is dead, Lady Lanèna," the other called out.  
  
Lana suddenly stood up, her eyes glowing bright. "I could say the same for you, Tiema. At least I died honorably. But I can't say the same for you. Air Night Soul, Life Hope Love."  
  
Lana extended her hand to Rowen, and he took it. Rowen could feel some of the energy drain away from him. Lana pointed to the swords on the ground with her left, tattooed hand and they rose in the air, making an X. "Dark Beam Destroy!"  
  
Tiema jumped out of the way before he was hit by the attack. The warriors were left standing there, the enemy disappeared.  
  
"Do not take the energy from this armor," Lana said suddenly. She turned toward the others, her eyes glowing a soft blue. A white glow surrounded her armor. "The wearer of the Armor of the Night could die if the energy is ever taken away."   
"Anubis? Is that you?" Ryo asked.  
  
Lana turned to him. "In a way, yes. I have been helping this young warrior with her new found powers. Just never let this human, armor, or power fall into the wrong hands. It will be fatal to the entire world if you do."  
  
Lana suddenly closed her eyes and collapsed into Rowen's arms. Her armor immediately went into Lana's regular clothes. There wasn't a threat in sight so they walked back into the house. Sage and Kento just reached the first floor as Rowen walked up the stairs to lay Lana on his bed.  
  
Sage blinked. "What happened?"  
  
"Oh, Lady Kayura and the others came to visit, we met up with another warlord, Anubis temporarily took over Lana, learned that if we ever take the power of the Night Armor away it would kill Lana. . . and that's about it," Ryo finished.  
  
"Oh," Kento said. "When's breakfast?"  
  
Rowen looked down at Lana as his armor faded into his clothes. *What will happen now,* he thought.  
  
  
  
Lana suddenly awoke, blinking her midnight blue eyes. The sun was still high in the air, but she could tell it was past noon. Silently she made her way out of the room and down the stairs.  
  
Ryo, Cye, and Sage were sitting in the living room watching TV, Kento was no where in sight, and neither was Rowen. Lana shook her head and walked into the kitchen, grabbing an apple, and sat down at the table, reading a book.  
  
"Hey guys!" she heard Rowen suddenly call. "Have you seen Lana?"  
  
"I thought she was still in your room," Cye answered.  
  
"No, she isn't."  
  
Lana shook her head in amusement and placed a piece of paper in her book to mark the place. She took another bite out of the apple and walked back into the living room. "I'm right here."  
  
Rowen jumped and then turned, smiling. "I was wondering if you would like to go into town with me. I have to pick up Mia and Yuli anyway, and if we go in early enough we might be able to go by mall first."  
  
Lana shrugged. "Okay, that's fine by me."  
  
  
  
Rowen looked inside the book store window at Lana. She crouched down, looking at a few books at the bottom of the shelf and picked up one, glancing through it. Lana looked up and smiled at Rowen, but then frowned when she saw the brown box under his arm.  
  
Lana paid for the book and walked out of the store and Rowen walked up beside her. "What's the package?" she asked.  
  
Rowen shrugged. "A little something I picked up while you were busy with the books."  
  
Lana got into the Jeep and shut the door. Rowen handed her the package. "Open it."  
  
Lana raised an eyebrow and opened the package, pulling out a black motorcycle helmet. One side said Air Night Soul, while the other said Life Hope Love, both in English, but also in kanji. Air and Life were in dark blue, Night and Hope were in silver, and Soul and Love were in gold.  
  
"I can't accept this," Lana murmured.  
  
"Think of it as a late birthday gift."  
  
Lana shook her head. "It must have cost you a fortune. There is no way I can take it."  
  
Rowen just sort of smiled and narrowed his eyes. "I won't let you ride your motorcycle without one. If it weren't for your sub-armor, you would have been killed."  
  
Lana sighed and buckled her seatbelt as Rowen pulled out of the parking lot. "You might have won this round, Warrior of Air, but you will not win the war."  
  
Rowen just laughed as they pulled up to a train station and saw Mia and Yuli standing outside, waiting for him. "Hi Rowen. Who did you bring with you?"  
  
"Mia, Yuli, this is Lana Vampirra. She meet all of us about a week ago. Lana, this is our friends Mia and Yuli."  
  
Lana smiled as she shook Mia's hand and Yuli's. "I hope the boys have been good to you," Mia said.   
Lana nodded. "Better than yo-" Lana suddenly stopped, her eyes wide. She turned and looked to the sky.  
  
"What is it Lana?"  
  
"Danger," she whispered. She looked around and saw absolutely nothing move, not even a leaf. In a flash of silver, she was suddenly in her sub-armor.  
  
Mia jumped. "Another Ronin?"  
  
"Long story," Lana answered as they backed into the shadows. Moving her hand a little, the shadows surrounded them and hid them. Tiema suddenly appeared, floating over the buildings.  
  
He glanced around and studied the shadows for a moment. "We have four more warlord threats," Lana murmured. "I think this one controls time."  
  
Tiema suddenly twirled his staff a little and everything slowed down suddenly, then the world exploded in a ball of light. Lana cried out in pain as she flew through the air and crashed into the ground.  
  
"Armor of Strata!" Rowen yelled. "Tao Inochi!"  
  
Lana staggered to her feet and glared at Tiema. "Armor of the Night," her voice suddenly filled with rage, "TAO MIKOMI!"  
  
Blue, black, and silver energy filled the air and surrounded Lana. As soon as the energy was absorb into her body, black and silver armor covered her. She wasted no time in her attack. As soon as she pulled the swords from her back, she jumped into the air, her eyes glowing a bright blue.  
  
She swung her sword at Tiema, black lightning arcing away from it. Tiema dodged it and Lana moved her right hand and silver energy shot out. He also dodged that but Lana moved her left hand suddenly and a piece of metal flew into the air, hitting Tiema in the back.  
  
Tiema cried out and moved toward Lana. Time suddenly seemed to slow down more. "Time Stream Disruption!"  
  
Tiema suddenly disappeared before Lana's eyes! She looked around frantically and suddenly saw a flash of white wear Rowen, Mia, and Yuli were standing.  
  
"Rowen!" Lana screamed. "Above you!"  
  
Rowen looked up and saw the threat. He covered Mia and Yuli just as a bunch of debris fell over them. Tiema just smiled as he looked up at Lana. "Agree to join us and Empress Vionite and we might spare your friends."  
  
"I'll never join scum like you!" Lana rushed forward, but Tiema suddenly disappeared again. She landed beside the large pile of concrete and metal and tried to dig through. When that didn't work, she raised her right hand and silver energy shot forward, destroying the larger pieces, and then raised her left hand, moving the smaller pieces with concentration.  
  
Pretty soon, Rowen's blue armor appeared and slow stood up. He and Mia were fine, but Yuli still sat on the ground. A large cut ran from his shin to his knee, bleeding.  
  
"If we don't stop the bleeding soon, he might go into shock," Mia said.  
  
Lana kneeled beside Yuli, her armor fading into her clothes. "This won't seem very safe," she muttered as she pulled out an army knife, flipping up a blade. "But it's the only way."  
  
Rowen frowned, but his eyes suddenly went wide as Lana slit her wrist. "Lana! What are you doing!?"  
  
"You'll see." She wiped the blood that collected around her wrist and fingers, and then smeared it on the cut. The pain on Yuli's face suddenly disappeared and she did it a few more times.  
  
After a few minutes, she pulled out a small cloth and wiped the blood away from her wrist, then Yuli's leg. All that was left was a small line of red on both.  
  
"It's strange," Lana murmured. "I never got sick any day of my life, never had any bruises or my cuts would disappear the next day."  
  
"What does it mean?"  
  
"I don't know. Every time I go to the doctors, I leave with nothing wrong with me, blood clean, perfectly healthy, no type of sickness. And it seems my blood has a numbing agent. The cuts I get would only hurt for a flash, but then stop. And it numbed the pain around Yuli's cut."  
  
Yuli pushed himself off the ground and took a step. "My leg feels like new!" He stood on the leg that was injured, and then fell.  
  
Lana caught him before he hit the ground and picked him up. "It appears that it numbed his whole leg," she murmured as she smiled. She looked around and frown. "You might need to go back into your clothes. Rowen. It appears that Tiema's time stop has worn off."  
  
Indeed it has. A few people around them blinked as if waking up from a long sleep and the wind blew Lana's loose hair back.   
  
"We better get back to the house," Rowen murmured as his armor faded away and he picked up a few pieces of Mia's and Yuli's luggage.  
  
"Who knows what might happen next," Lana said as she looked in the direction that Tiema disappeared.  
  



End file.
